The Paladin Owns the Relic

169 – Ancient Forest (29)

Arpina opened her eyes. The carriage was moving. The gaps in her memory were sparsely disconnected.

Maybe she passed out and then fell asleep and that’s it over and over again. It was hard for her to breathe. Her wounds, she looked down, were bandaged.

Child.

What I remember was the back of a child.

The tree spirit’s hand changed and it penetrated the abdomen. But she couldn’t get out of the way, still standing with the child frozen behind her.

A long standing standoff. When the tree spirit removed her arm, she realized at once that it was no ordinary wound.

She said it was fine at first, but as time went on I could see things like tree roots spreading out of her wounds. She coughed up blood and tried to get herself up, but noticed that somewhere in her body was damaged.

Death.

She realized that at some point the thing she had been wanting to avoid was right behind her.

The first thing that came to her mind was that she couldn’t escape this time.

And then…

“…Zahard.”

He remembered.

“Now… hard… is there…?”

“Yes.”

Something cold rose above her head. Arpina chewed her well.

Your voice was colder than a towel on your forehead. Even the hand wiping her sweat seemed a little angry.

“Are you… Angry?”

“Why did you come out when you have no strength?”

“My feet… Moved first…”

“Then why… no.”

She let out a sigh. The towel that was wiping her face stopped.

“…Hold on for a while. Arpina.”

“……”

That’s a disappointing voice. But for some reason, the voice doesn’t sound that disappointed.

Why?

Alpina felt a strange sense of incongruity. A feeling of incongruity she had felt ever since she met him.

She stretched out her hand. Beneath her dim vision, she held Zahad’s hand.

“Next to…”

Maybe I’m being foolish.

Still, at this moment, I want to do that.

“Can you… Stay by my side…?”

. . .

Alpina opened her eyes. For some reason, the surroundings were noisy.

Raised her body. She moved forward. The corpses of the tree spirits were filled beyond the hard-open wagon door.

As Zahard drew the spear from the dead man’s corpse, he looked back. His expression was more firm than before. He quickly approached and forced Alpina to lie down.

“I am lying down.”

“But the enemy attack…”

“It’s okay, so I’m lying down. I’ll take care of it.”

Where did you come from? They must be on their way to the Fairy Forest, seeing as they are moving forward.

Looking up at Zahard. There were a lot of dark circles around his eyes. It was clear that the other party members were similar.

Everyone is moving forward without getting enough sleep.

Because she cares about her own hurt.

“……”

I always get help.

Before that, I must have been on the side of helping… Looking back, it seemed like I always got help back then.

His Holiness the Pope.

What should I do?

How to…

A little bit more…

. . .

Alpina opened her eyes. Her carriage was moving. Unlike before, she was quiet.

Outside the slightly open window was filled with faint but pale moonlight. It’s night. The night after the day has passed.

The night was always lonely. There were many times when she had to look up at the moon quietly alone.

Loneliness.

Even if Tiella was by her side, she couldn’t confide in her. Rather, she was close to her, so she tried to show a stronger side.

Sometimes I got depressed, but it was okay. Because she believed that if she held on, something would change in her.

But as the days went on, Arpina trembled with anxiety.

She said that nothing changed just by waiting.

It just got quiet.

As the days passed, the surroundings became quieter little by little.

So…

So…

“…Now… Hard… Is there…?”

She gasped for breath. Even if she didn’t hear an answer, she couldn’t help it, she thought.

Now I am a troublesome lump of baggage. She could, she thought.

It was as if she had stepped out of a situation where she shouldn’t have stepped in in the first place.

“…Next to… is…?”

“Yes.”

Amid blurry vision, someone leaning against the wall moved.

The cold wet towel was changed again.

“Are you okay? You just have to hold out a little longer.”

“…Ahahahaha.”

For some reason, laughter came out. Weird. She had never been this helpless before, so why?

Why is it that laughter comes out at the weakest moment?

“Now… it’s hard…”

Arpina held her hand as she was about to change her wet towel. She slowly dragged him over and laid him down next to her.

She turned her head to her side. His face was reflected through the disheveled silver hair.

He is handsome. A sharp nose and lovely eyes. It is a face that brings a smile to itself just by looking at it.

But that has nothing to do with it now. Arpina saw.

His pure soul.

Something behind it.

“I…”

It came out of nowhere.

“I like bitter coffee.”

“Yes?”

“When I wake up in the morning… I like to eat toast. Spread a little butter on it. But I don’t eat the end part. It doesn’t taste good.”

My cough leaks out.

Smiles lightly.

“If you sprinkle sugar on it, it tastes a little bit better. It goes well with bitter coffee. If you use both or sweet… You won’t be able to eat it all.”

“……”

“I like fluttery clothes. A dress with lots of frills. In fact, the cardinal’s clothes I was wearing before… I reformed them separately. I have a lot of dexterity.”

The held hands hold each other tightly.

The blunt expression wriggles. Let out a sigh

“…I am.”

He is easygoing and suits the conversation.

“I don’t have any manual dexterity…you are amazing.”

“There seems to be something even Zahard can’t do.”

There is blood mixed in my coughing fits, but I don’t care.

Let’s talk.

Be quiet.

Very quiet.

“Actually, I am weak in the morning.”

“I am not.”

“Are you a little sleepy?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever slept deeply. I feel like my body stiffens if I don’t move too much.”

“Has Zahard… Never been lazy on the bed?”

“What?”

“You are too diligent.”

“You have to be diligent to make a living.”

“Even if you are diligent enough, you can make a living.”

Time flies in the chatter of chatter. Arpina slowly felt her eyes getting heavy.

“You… Don’t ask…”

“What?”

“Why did I stand on the front line when I had no strength.”

There was silence.

It broke shortly after.

“Because you are that kind of person.”

“Are you that kind of person?”

“Yes. Different species. People who put the lives of innocent people ahead of their own. It’s like… It’s innate.”

“Have you met Zahard?”

“Yes. Only once, but never forgotten. I owe you my life So much so that I will never be able to forget it.”

“…I’m envious.”

“What is it?”

“The one who showed the way to the right person like you.”

“You seem to be walking the opposite way?”

“Wrong.”

Arpina laughed. She yawned languidly.

“…Zahard. You know. As we go through life… Sometimes, there are times when our feet move on their own. It was just like that.”

“People call it stupid.”

“If you don’t measure before and after, you’re bound to lose most of it. But…Sometimes something is saved.”

“……”

“Zahard. You always say you act selfishly. But…If you look inside, there seems to be little that could make you feel selfish.”

“Aren’t you looking at the wrong person?”

“I’m looking at you properly. I’ve been watching you all along. Curious. Because I can’t stand it. What kind of person is the person next to me… I’m so curious…”

Arpina raised her hand. She took Zahad’s hand and put it on his cheek.

“You are…A kind person.”

“……”

“Zahard.”

“Yes.”

“Please stay by my side until I fall asleep…”

“…Good.”

Close your eyes. Arpina let out a quiet breath.

Can I open my eyes again?

The quiet thoughts were buried in sleep.

Like that.

So slowly.

. . .

From noble mtl dot com

Alpina opened her eyes.

She couldn’t breathe properly. Her barely regained breath made a gurgling sound.

Her lungs filled with blood. Arpina turned around. She coughed up her blood, which had seeped into her lungs.

Ah.

You are dying.

Can I open my eyes again next time?

“Now…hard…are you there?”

There was no answer. Opened her eyes Faint sunlight through the window.

Alpina stumbled and stood up. She leaned against the door. Her hands were weak and she couldn’t open the door.

I bumped into her body. Her carriage rocked. But she didn’t move as if something was blocking her.

Arpina slipped and fell. She leaned against the door and caught her breath.

“…Well…Hard…?”

“It’s there.”

A voice was heard. Other than that, I didn’t hear anything.

“What is going on…Out there?”

“Nothing happened. Majesty. Close your eyes a little more.”

“Something…Is there something?”

“No. The carriage will reach the fairy forest in no time. In the new seedlings, the flesh that has not yet opened will open. It’s Yggdrasil’s passion. Go find an elf named Flora. Give me my name and I will guide you.”

“In front… What is in front? What is it?”

“There is nothing.”

The carriage started moving again.

The voice went away.

“See you later.”

. . .

The knight of the forest moved his sword. The four Guardians let out a low breath from behind.

“Duran. Why don’t you catch the wagon?”

“His Majesty said. Kill all humans.”

“Authors are no exception. What are you thinking?”

“I have to chase after you even now…”

Duran quietly looked at the remaining ones.

“…It’s not honorable.”

Something I’ve seen before. I felt him glaring at me as he turned the window around.

“Messenger of God.”

“Zahard.”

“…Zahard. I am Duran.”

“Duran? Isn’t that the name the World Tree uses when going out on a town outing?”

Duran flinched.

“How do you know that…?”

“Are you the world tree?”

“…No.”

“Isn’t it? But. It must be in the process of withering, but it’s funnier to let the incarnation wander around.”

A human who knows a lot.

Duran raised his sword. He looked back at the Guardians.

“Don’t be vigilant.”

“Anyway, I’m just a human being…”

Flinch.

The Guardians were nervous. The air stiffened for a moment as two women stood behind him.

A white-haired woman. The glare from under her horns was full of hostility. As she reached out, a number of weapons floated in the air.

A woman with black hair. Her somewhat frail body was full of suspiciousness. The shadow under her feet snapped and opened her mouth. Rotten I filled the forest.

“…There must be a reason why you dragged us all along.”

“For the sake of Your Majesty, suppress it. If you think it’s impossible…”

Duran raised his sword.

“Kill them all.”